I just re-read (listened) Way of the Wolf: Straight Line Selling: Master the Art of Persuasion, Influence, and Success by Jordan Belfort
I would highly recommend you read Jordan Belfort’s new book. I have mine on kindle and Audible. Jordan Belfort has a deep and profound understanding of human nature and how to convey the right image to make a sale. From your tonality of voice, cadence, enthusiasm, certainty, and belief in what you sell, he knows how to put that all together to generate sales at a rapid rate.
OK, the book does cover some of his history of selling stocks, training salespeople, and a little about the adventures he has had along the way. But mostly, for the price of a lunch, you are essentially getting the meat of the Straight Line Sales System that sells online for about $2,000.
Way of the Wolf: Straight Line Selling: Master the Art of Persuasion, Influence, and Success is the condensed version of the course.
One caveat, this book tells the hard truth about making sales.
If you sell anything by phone, you can use about 100% of what’s in this book. It will all apply to you. But if you are like most merchant services sales people or sell by appointment, maybe 90% will apply. But that 90% is pure gold.
If you are going to learn from someone, learn from the best. If your goal is to make money selling…learn from someone who made a fortune doing exactly that.
One thing you should know…Belfort talks about not using “pressure”, but the techniques he teaches create a sense of urgency to buy, and for some salespeople…that can be a little intimidating. Belfort’s personality may turn a few off…you may not even particularly like him. And he does swear. So if that hurts your ears, don’t buy the audible book. But if you are hungry…and want to get ahead in selling….this book is a really good read.
Chapter 4 talks about tonality and body language. And as one Amazon reviewer said, this chapter alone is well worth the cost of the book, that kinda swayed me too.
It’s more than just the tone of voice…it’s the cadence, amplitude, timing, certainty in the voice, “caring” in the voice…and more.
And this is really advanced selling. For example, the reason hypnosis works is that the subject believes the hypnotist’s suggestion of reality. And for that belief to transfer, the hypnotist has to sound certain…absolutely certain. It’s this transference of certainty that drives hypnosis. And it’s this transfer of belief..of certainty…that drives sales.
Belfort teaches the same thing..how to transfer certainty to the prospect. And it’s done mostly through how you speak (and body language and facial expressions in person), even more than what you say. And it works powerfully.
Belfort talks about tonality, because he sells over the phone. When he talks about “Tonality” it isn’t just about the pitch of your voice. It’s about using your voice to captivate attention and keep it. It’s about conveying emotion, conviction, empathy. It’s a huge part of what actors learn. Watch a great actor…a slight change in expression can carry loads of meaning. A shift in posture, a raised eyebrow, leaning forward slightly, lowering your voice slightly…can make a big difference. And it’s that kind of thing Belfort is talking about.
It has been brought up in discussions with friends that he sounds (in his sales videos) like a hustler.
His voice is annoying. There, I said it. And my guess is that most of his reps had less than a radio voice as well. And they were mostly uneducated young men.
And that’s one of the things that impressed me the most. Even though his voice is aggravating (to me)…he still sold millions of dollars of product a month. And he taught others…frankly less than brilliant reps..how to do it as well. His methodology is that good.
His methodology is so well thought out, his understanding of human nature is so on point, his knowledge of the core of what makes people buy (or makes them object) is so deep… it overcomes all of his flaws (and ours) when presenting and making our pitch.
And in his book he lays it all out. He is a good teacher, and it’s impossible to not understand what he is teaching, and use it to our immediate profit.
I’m going through my second reading now, with a yellow highlighter. This is the kind of book you study. Below are some other great sales books I have read and would recommend you to read as well.
How to Master the Art of Selling by Tom Hopkins
The Psychology of Selling by Brian Tracy
Elevator to the Top by Ryan Stewman
Those are just a few that I’ve read. What books have you read to help you grow in sales?
Happy Selling,
David
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